Question: There is a smallest positive real number $a$ such that there exists a positive real number $b$ such that all the roots of the polynomial $x^3-ax^2+bx-a$ are real. In fact, for this value of $a$ the value of $b$ is unique. What is the value of $b?$
Explanation: Let $r,$ $s,$ $t$ be the real roots, so
\[r^3 - ar^2 + br - a = 0.\]If $r$ is negative, then $r^3,$ $-ar^2,$ $br,$ and $-a$ are all negative, so
\[r^3 - ar^2 + br - a < 0,\]contradiction.  Also, $r \neq 0,$ so $r$ is positive.  Similarly, $s$ and $t$ are positive.

By Vieta's formulas, $r + s + t = a$ and $rst = a.$  By AM-GM,
\[\frac{r + s + t}{3} \ge \sqrt[3]{rst}.\]Then
\[\frac{a}{3} \ge \sqrt[3]{a}.\]Hence, $a \ge 3 \sqrt[3]{a},$ so $a^3 \ge 27a.$  Since $a$ is positive, $a^2 \ge 27,$ so $a \ge 3 \sqrt{3}.$

Equality occurs if and only if $r = s = t = \sqrt{3},$ so the cubic is
\[(x - \sqrt{3})^3 = x^3 - 3x^2 \sqrt{3} + 9x - 3 \sqrt{3} = 0.\]Thus, $b = \boxed{9}.$